


just hold me for a while, okay?

by omniBat



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Female Pronouns for Fujisaki Chihiro, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Literal Sleeping Together, Trans Female Fujisaki Chihiro, Trans Fujisaki Chihiro, just mentions of it, tho that tag bugs me a little since no pronouns inherently have a gender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:47:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25200364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omniBat/pseuds/omniBat
Summary: Chihiro spent her first day in the afterlife in tears.Dying and regaining all those memories is a lot to handle, but when she watches the trial and hears all the things Mondo says, she waits for his arrival in the afterlife ready to forgive him. All she asks is that he holds her for a while.[Note abt the fix-it aspect: Chihiro Fujisaki is trans. After Mondo comes forward, he tells all the others that she's a girl, not a crossdresser, and they accept her and promise to continue thinking of her as a girl.]
Relationships: Fujisaki Chihiro & Ishimaru Kiyotaka & Owada Mondo, Fujisaki Chihiro & Owada Mondo, Fujisaki Chihiro/Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo, Fujisaki Chihiro/Oowada Mondo, Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo
Comments: 9
Kudos: 120





	1. Chapter 1

Chihiro spent her first day in the afterlife in tears.

Dying, being killed by her best friend, and regaining her memories of the past two years was a lot, to say the least. Not to mention being removed from that situation and finally being able to relax for the first time in who knows how long, she suddenly _felt_ so intensely that she thought she might just fall apart and die a second time. All of that wrapped in a nice little bow of betrayal… betrayed by her classmates, thrown into a killing game by them, only to be murdered by the best friend she’d ever had. And for all she knew at this point, Mondo had killed her due to her identity. And that thought was the worst part of all of this.

So, she cried. She cried until her head hurt, until she couldn’t cry anymore. Leon checked in on her periodically, bringing her tissues and water, but for the most part, let her be alone. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say, or how to comfort her, so he offered what condolences he could and gave her her space. Mukuro gave her A Look, seeming somewhat uncomfortable, but she offered Chihiro a curt, tense nod. Chihiro returned the gesture, which she supposed was a sort of sympathetic acknowledgement. Sayaka kept her company on and off, gave her a hug even though, like everyone else, she didn’t really know what to say.

Still feeling vulnerable, Chihiro took in her surroundings. When she’d first arrived, she realized she was at Hope’s Peak. Her memories of the past crammed themselves into her brain, fitting together in a flurry of understanding and reforming perspectives. She held the sides of her head to keep it from splitting apart as a sudden migraine made her vision flash a bright white. The Hope’s Peak she saw ahead of her wasn’t the same as the one she’d just died in. This was Hope’s Peak before everything bad happened, with a clear sky and open windows. The other difference was that this was a mirror image of the Hope’s Peak of the living. Upon entering the front gates, besides regaining her memories, she Knew one thing for sure, the same way things Known in a dream. Chihiro knew that everyone who died in the killing game would be stuck in this ethereal version of the school until/unless their classmates were to escape. Until then, they’d be able to watch things as they happened and root for their classmates. Living people walked around the school appearing like holographic projections. Anyone residing in the Ethereal Hope’s Peak would be able to watch and listen to everything going on, but could not interfere. 

Once their friends _did_ escape the school, Chihiro knew that everyone in the afterlife would leave alongside them. They’d be able to wander the Earth as ghosts, be reincarnated, spend time in a more traditional afterlife, or, if they’d done just about everything they could think of, just return to the star stuff from which they came, and float off into the universe. 

Chihiro spent her time awaiting the trial in the mirrored version of her dorm room. She sat on her bed and rocked herself slightly, trying to keep her breathing steady and even. Everyone was going to find out the thing she’d tried so hard to hide. She was sure everyone would hate her, probably Mondo most of all.

Sayaka quietly knocked on her door to let her know the trial was about to start, and all four residents of Ethereal Hope’s Peak Academy made their way to the elevator. She watched the living students talking to each other, Mondo and Taka seemed the saddest out of everyone. Part of her wondered if it was an act on Mondo’s part. They reached the basement finally, and Chihiro stood near the wall to watch, with Leon and Sayaka flanking her as emotional support. Mukuro stood to the side, seemingly pretending that she wasn’t really listening.

Chihiro cringed as soon as Kyoko suggested everyone go look at her body again. She knew exactly what was coming. She understood that they needed to know her secret to know who killed her, but did Kyoko _have_ to reveal it _that way?_ Despite knowing it was coming, she cringed. She felt her classmates stiffen on either side of her, tension thickening the air, and she braced herself for their reaction. She expected them to recoil in disgust, or worse- what if they _hurt her?_ Defensively, she crossed her arms over her chest, holding herself tightly. She tucked her head in shame, shaking a little with fear and biting back tears. But.. her friends didn’t move away from her, and a blow never came. They must’ve just been surprised, because the tension in the air dissipated as quickly as it appeared. Chihiro was startled by Leon’s hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Her shoulders relaxed, she hesitantly let her hands drop down to her sides again as she cast him a nervous glance. When she wasn’t looking, she felt Sayaka take her hand with a gentle, but protective air about her. She felt like she might cry again.

When it’s revealed that Mondo had moved her body, and had tried his absolute best to hide her secret, she _did_ find herself crying again. She was so relieved that it wasn’t for the reason she thought, and was relieved that her friends didn’t seem to care. She also noticed that Mondo continued to use “she” when referring to her, despite the rest of their classmates not understanding the situation and switching to he/him pronouns. When Mondo finally does confess and explain himself, he chastises the class for their ignorance, and tells them they should respect Chihiro’s wishes and continue to think of her as a girl. They all seem to feel guilty, at least a little bit, and some even apologize. (Genocide Jack just looks disappointed that Chihiro wasn’t a cute boy after all.)

Neither Leon nor Chihiro could watch the execution. They left the room, Leon walked Chihiro to the front doors so she could wait for Mondo by herself. He offered to stay with her, but she assured him that she wanted to be the first to greet Mondo when he arrived. Chihiro stood just outside the front door, staring straight ahead at the academy gates with bated breath. Her mind wandered while she waited; she took in the sky, felt the sun on her skin, listened to the birds and watched bees as they buzzed by.

As a programmer, she never really went outside all that much. Being a child prodigy doesn’t give you much free time in the first place, and when you consider that her skill was with computers, it meant that even as a child she didn’t spend a lot of time outdoors. But Chihiro had all the time in the world now, she could lie in the damp grass watching clouds as long as she liked. And this was the afterlife, anything was possible - if she _did_ want to do some programming, it wouldn’t be hard to work outside.

Chihiro’s thoughts were interrupted when she saw a shape in the distance that glowed with a celestial, otherworldly light. It was exactly what Sayaka had told her to look for. As it grew closer, it became clearer that the light wasn’t just a solid glowing form, but a cloud of shimmering stardust, containing so much potential - containing memories and experiences and despair and hope. Chihiro nervously fiddled with the hem of her jacket, biting her lip in her anxiety. The cloud started to look more like Mondo as it got closer, until suddenly there was a flash of light, and Mondo solidified before her, stumbling as he caught his footing.

For what must’ve been the hundredth time in the past twenty-four hours, Chihiro felt tears welling up in her eyes as she leaned forward and smiled at her friend, putting her hands together because she wasn’t sure what to do with them.

Mondo took a deep breath and blinked. He looked around like a startled animal until his eyes settled on Chihiro, at which point he gasped, “ _Ch…_ _Chihiro?”_ His eyes filled with tears, and he quickly dropped to the ground on his hands and knees. From where Chihiro was standing, she could see that his shoulders were racked with quiet sobs. She stepped a little closer, careful not to scare him. 

Mondo choked out, slowly at first but becoming more panicked and rushed the longer he went on, “ _Chi - Chihiro, god I’m so sorry._ I’m so _FUCKING_ sorry I can’t believe I did what I did, I never, _ever_ wanted to hurt you. I can _promise_ you that. I know that doesn’t mean anything. And I know there’s no forgiving me. You - you and Taka - are the best friends I’ve _ever_ had. And I - oh, _god_ \- I Remember _everything._ You and I were friends even longer than I realized. But, shit, this isn’t about me! This- this is- you shouldn’t forgive me. I don’t deserve to be your friend. How could I do that, I _killed you!_ When you _TRUSTED_ me _so much!_ Oh no, FUCK now I feel like I’m guilt-tripping you, fuck, I’m so fucking sorry, shit-”

Chihiro knelt in front of Mondo, now crying herself. She extended a hand to him. “ _M...Mondo…”_ Her voice was soft, so gentle it could’ve been carried away on the breeze. Her hand reached her friend’s shoulder and held tight, encouraging him to look up at her. When he finally did, she met his gaze - eyes brimming with tears, and _grief_ and _guilt -_ she smiled at him. She was crying too, of course, but she smiled at him warmly and cocked her head slightly to the side, looking at him with a face so full of _love_ and _fondness_ and _kindness_ and **_hope_ ** that Mondo felt as if he might explode into a whole other dimension right where he knelt. 

Mondo straightened a little bit to see her more clearly. When he spoke, he kept his voice low, as if speaking louder would break this moment, as if it would all dissipate like the floating seeds of a dandelion. “Chihiro… you, you know you don’t have to forgive me, r-right?” He gulped as he awaited her answer, but he didn’t have to wait very long. 

“I know...” she paused and glanced downward for a moment. Mondo found himself enraptured by the way the sunlight glinted golden off her delicate lashes. Tears clung there like morning dew on grass, and Mondo started to wonder how long she’d been crying. _And all because of him._

Before he could spiral much further, Chihiro finished her sentence. “...But, I want to. And I _do_ forgive you. We’re safe now. We- we’ll both be okay, and we’ll stay by each other’s sides, and we’ll root for the others. I _still trust you,_ Mondo. Thank you… for trying to protect me. And thank you for defending me…” Her hand moved up to his cheek, and she brushed his cheekbone with her thumb. Mondo’s eyes fluttered as he leaned into her feather-light touch. God, he wanted to touch her back. He’s never wanted anything more than to just pick Chihiro up right now and hold her tightly in his arms, and make sure that nothing - _especially_ himself - _ever_ hurts her again.

“Chi, I- I’m gonna make it up to you. I mean, I know I never could, not in all of eternity, but _fuck_ I’ll do everything I can. I’d do anything for you, Chi… _anything at all._ ” Chihiro chuckled, the corners of her eyes wrinkling in a way that made Mondo that much more in awe of her. She has always been, without a doubt, the most beautiful girl he’s ever met. The beautiful he’d ever seen, actually. His hands fidget nervously to avoid pulling her tightly into his arms.

“Anything, huh?”

“ _Anything_.”

“In that case...” She sounded a little embarrassed, and blushed as she asked, “Can you just… h-hold me… for a while?”

“I- c-can I?”

“Please.” 

Mondo, tentatively at first, wrapped his arms around Chihiro. He softly ran his hands around to her back, and pulled her as close as he possibly could without crushing her. He gripped the fabric of her jacket in his hand, and he felt her doing the same to his. They both held each other tightly for fear they might disappear.

Mondo whispered in her ear, “Can… can I carry you inside?”

Chihiro wrapped her arms over his shoulders as she nodded into his chest. “Uh-huh… just, um. This place is a mirror image of the school in real life, so, uh… don’t run into any walls…”

Mondo smiled. “Okay, thanks for the warning.”

They didn’t run into anyone on the walk to Chihiro’s room. He carried her with such care as if she were a small bird fallen from a nest. He took off his jacket, and she encouraged him to sit on her bed, leaned back on cushions against the headboard. She climbed into his lap, wrapped her arms around his shoulders again, and buried her face into his neck. 

If he were to be honest, Mondo would admit to being surprised. He wasn’t expecting forgiveness, much less _affection_ . He was overwhelmed with relief, and finally had a moment to think and begin to process the memories clattering around his brain. He was confused and full of grief, but resolved to make sense of everything later. For now he was here, with one of his two _best friends,_ and she was holding him, and he was wrapping his arms around her, lightly running his fingers over her back through her jacket. One of his hands settled there and held her steady, gripped the fabric and pulled her closer, the other hand reached up to the back of her head to tangle his fingers in her hair. They sat for a long time, each with their face in the crook of the other’s neck, breathing deeply and losing themselves in their syncing heartbeats.

Mondo then finds that every time he runs his hand through her hair - _soft, and the color of butterscotch,_ he thinks - she sighs contentedly in the cute way she does everything, and melts further into him. Every single time, it makes his heart swell and his stomach twist in knots. She’s so good and beautiful and kind that at times he feels as if he shouldn’t be touching her at all. She treats him so gently, in a way no one ever has, in a way he never even knew he was missing out on. Everything about her is so soft, there’s no way someone like him deserves to even _look_ at someone like her. But it’s always that moment when, as if reading his mind, Chihiro chooses to press a soft kiss to his shoulder or collarbone. This small action wipes all thoughts from Mondo’s head, and he feels his face turn bright red, feels as if he might go blind with love. He holds her tighter.

Chihiro relished the feeling of being held by someone so steady and solid and sure. She felt safe and warm in Mondo’s arms, his strength unwavering. No matter how heavily she leaned into his chest, he held her steady and careful. Sometimes she feels his breath quicken and stutter, or a tear drop onto her shoulder. So she presses herself ever closer and whispers to him, running her hands over his back comfortingly and lets him cry. At the moments when _her_ feelings bubble to the surface, and her grief hits her like a train, he strokes her hair softly and kisses the juncture between her shoulder and neck to let her know she’s not alone, and she’s loved. And it does make her feel loved, which makes her cry a bit more. He knows her, probably better than anyone else on the planet, and he _sees_ her. And he cares _so much_ for her.

The room, once illuminated by sunlight, darkened around them. Mondo guided them into a position better suited for sleeping, himself on his back and Chihiro halfway on top of him, her ear pressed to his chest to listen to his heart. He ran his fingers through her hair, moving it back from her face so he could watch her eyes flutter from the touch. 

Sleep dragged at both of them, pulling them further and further down, deeper into the mattress beneath them. Mondo’s hand slowed in Chihiro’s hair. Her breathing was getting slower and softer. He wasn’t even sure if she was awake, but he took a deep breath anyway. As he exhaled, he spoke as softly as he could,

_“I love you, Chi… so much…”_

Chihiro exhaled softly, raised herself just enough so that she could press her entire body against his and kiss him softly on his cheek. She tucked her face against her neck, and her could feel her smile as she murmured, just as softly,

_“I love you too, Mondo. So much.”_


	2. taka's arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> taka arrives in the afterlife. mondo and chihiro welcome him, and at least attempt to offer some comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god i don't know how to make fics sound appealing. writing the chapter summary and stuff is my least favorite part. I hope you enjoy!!!

“I’m gonna beat Celeste’s ass when she gets here.”

Chihiro had to smile, despite herself. “I know, I know. But for now, won’t it be nice to see Taka again?”

Mondo frowned. “Yeah, I do wish it didn’t have to be like this, though.”

“Me too.”

There was a pause as the two watched the clouds float across the wide, blue sky. They were sitting together on the steps in front of Ethereal Hope’s Peak, watching the front gates and waiting for movement.

“I’m also… worried about him… What the  _ fuck  _ happened to him? He talked to Alter Ego and just…” Mondo made an explosion motion with his hands on either side of his head, and sighed. “I just hope we can help him get back to himself again.”

“Yeah, I… to be honest, I’ve been trying not to think about it too hard. And I feel bad that it’s Alter Ego that brought that on. She and Makoto were just trying to help, but… it clearly had the opposite effect.”

“Augh, if only I’d talked to him some more before I… ya know. He still thinks that our deaths are both somehow  _ his fault. _ I broke our promise! The least I could’ve done was tell him he shouldn’t blame himself, and it was my own weakn-” Chihiro took his hand in hers, squeezing it reassuringly to keep him from spiralling. 

“Mondo,” She said softly, “it’s okay. He’ll be here soon, and you can tell him everything.” She leaned her shoulder against his and smiled up at him sadly. He returned the expression, and quickly looked away before he could start tearing up, rubbing his face with his hand and clearing his throat. 

After some time, their eyes registered movement. A little bit of light, just like what Chihiro saw when Mondo first arrived. It grew closer and more solid-looking, more Taka-looking.

Until finally, there was a wave of energy, a  _ pop _ in the air, and Taka was standing before them, trying to catch his footing.

Mondo and Chihiro jumped to their feet, ready to catch him if he fell, when they realized… he was still…  _ that person _ that he’d created. Kiyondo, or Ishida, or whatever it was he was calling himself. His hair was stark white, eyes burning with a red flame. He took a deep breath, his eyes darting about until they focused and zeroed in on Chihiro and Mondo. He seemed confused, the pair by the front steps could see the gears in his head spinning as he tried to piece together what was happening. They weren’t sure if he recognized them, or understood who and where they were. 

Mondo’s hand found Chihiro’s, both offering and asking for support.  _ It’ll be okay… he’ll be okay,  _ he tried to convince himself as much as Chihiro. Hesitantly, he cleared his throat. “T… Taka? Do you… recognize us, bro?”

Taka looked  _ angry _ . He looked angry and confused and a bit panicked. His breathing was ragged as his eyes darted between the pair. “I’m not Taka! I am someone new entirely-” Ishida cut himself off with a yell, hands flying to his head and his eyes screwing shut. “ _ Yamada… that  _ **_moron_ ** _!”  _

Mondo very slowly stepped forward, Chihiro moving to stay beside him. “Bro… please, let me help…” he outstretched a hand, wishing he could grab Taka and hold him tight enough to exorcise whatever had possessed him. Ishida had tears in his eyes, his breathing only grew more ragged and his sobs more broken. 

Chihiro hesitantly held out her hand, ghosting her touch over Ishida’s arm. “Taka, look, we’re both right here! We’re  _ all  _ here! Everything will be okay, I  _ promise. _ ”

Ishida took a deep breath and raised his voice, “I’m  _ NOT-” _

He was interrupted by Mondo’s arms pulling him to his chest and a strong hand holding the back of his head. “ _ Taka, baby… breathe, okay?”  _ Ishida continued to sob, muffled against Mondo’s neck. “ _ It’s okay. You’ll be okay… just take a deep breath-”  _ He paused to demonstrate. “ _ You got it… good, see?” _

Ishida’s grip on his hair loosened, so Chihiro took the opportunity to reach up and guide his hands back down towards his sides. “Taka… we love you.” she pressed closer to them, wrapped her arms around them both as best she could. Mondo moved one of his arms to encompass them both. If either of them had opened their eyes, they would’ve seen Ishida’s -  _ Taka’s -  _ hair darkening, slowly but surely returning to its natural color. 

Taka’s arms wrapped around his friends, one over Mondo’s shoulder, and his other hand settling in Chihiro’s hair. “M…  _ Mondo…? Chihiro-!  _ I… I’m  _ so sorry…” _

Chihiro’s hand ran up and down his back. “Oh, Taka! It’s okay, I promise it’ll be okay!”

“N-no,” Taka choked, “I mean - I feel so terrible, that I couldn’t save you guys. I’m so,  _ so  _ sorry - you guys have no idea, I couldn’t- I couldn’t protect you! Either of you!”

“ _ Taka…”  _ Mondo spoke as softly as he could, “ _ I  _ am responsible for my own actions. I did a terrible,  _ horrible  _ thing… It’s something that I will never be able to apologize for enough. What I did, that’s  _ my  _ problem.  _ You  _ did  _ nothing wrong. I  _ should be apologizing to  _ you…  _ I’m so sorry for breaking our promise. I’m so sorry for abandoning you, and leaving you behind. I just-” He broke off with a sob of his own. 

Chihiro held them both tighter. Taka’s hand stroked Chihiro’s hair softly, comforted by the closeness of his friends. “Ch-Chihiro, are you okay? I’m so happy to see you again… I’m sorry...”

Chihiro smiled, leaning into Taka’s touch as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. “Thank you, Taka… I’m fine, really! And we both love you  _ so much _ , okay?” All three of them were crying in earnest at this point. 

“I know that…” Mondo spoke slowly, “everything is… a lot. With all the memories, and seeing us, and  _ dying.  _ But… we’re both here, Taka. And we love you, and we’ll all be okay. We’re all safe.”

Taka took a shaky breath. “I love both of you, too. I’m so glad we get to see each other again, I’m glad we get to be together. I love you both…”

The three of them continued to stand there for a while, until there was a chime.

“Aw, fuck,” Mondo said, pulling away, “We should go, I’d rather not run into Yamada when he gets here.”

The other two nodded and walked through the front doors, Taka flanked on either side with his partners holding his hands. “Um, I do feel a little bit bad,” Chihiro said, “Is… is no one going to meet Hifumi at the gate? I know he’s dreadful, but…”

“Ehhhhh, fuck ‘im!” Mondo practically growled. “He got what was coming to him.” There was a beat of complete, deafening silence, only the sound of their footsteps could be heard. “Uh, I-I’m so sorry, Chi, I didn’t mean to snap like that.”

“It’s okay,” She said, and flashed him a genuine smile. “I know you weren’t angry at me.”

Taka held their hands tighter, happy to see them on such good terms and communicating so well. 

“Well,” Mondo thought out loud, “we could ask someone else to go talk to ‘im. I’d just rather it wasn’t one of us.”

“Alright, I’ll ask Leon! Why don’t you take Taka to my room and I’ll meet you guys there?”

“Sounds good, see you in a minute.”

Chihiro broke away from the boys and waved, jogging off to find Leon. He was probably bugging Sayaka somewhere.

Chihiro’s room in the Ethereal Hope’s Peak was already decorated heavily to its occupants’ tastes. There were astronomy posters all over the walls, accompanied by several flags that Mondo had picked out. There was a large TV on one wall, outfitted with several different gaming consoles. They’d also found a microwave and a small fridge. They didn’t  _ need  _ to eat, of course, but it was nice to have comfort food. Two other distinguishing features of the room were the pink bedsheets, and the bathroom door equipped with a lock. (The latter is partly why Mondo and Chihiro had chosen to stay in her room rather than his.)

Mondo sat Taka and himself on Chihiro’s bed. “Um, how’s your head?”

Taka rubbed his head, wincing. “It hurts, but… I know it will pass! However…” He frowned and looked away.

“Hey… I know it’s fuckin’ terrible, you can be honest.”

“Y-yeah…” Taka’s voice broke a bit, “there’s a lot that I’ll… never get to do.”

“...Like being Prime Minister?”

“Yes, but… I don’t know. I wanted to make the world a better place. I wanted to destroy all corruption, make it so that with hard work, normal people can  _ really make it.  _ And I  _ enjoy  _ studying! I like being able to work toward a set goal. And that’s not something you can do here.”

“Taka, I’m so sorry.”

Taka took a deep breath and puffed out his chest, putting on a brave face. “There’s no need for you to apologize, my friend! It is what it is and I shall make the most of it!” He shot Mondo a weak smile as he tried to hold back tears.

“Aw, c’mere, dude,” He pulled Taka into a tight hug and held him close as he cried softly into Mondo’s shoulder. At some point Chihiro returned and gave Mondo a thumbs-up before sitting on Taka’s other side and rubbing his back. Eventually, they were all piled on top of each other, holding each other and offering what comfort they could. That’s where they remained, until the investigation ended.

  
  
  


_ Ding dong, bing bong! _

Ghosts intermingled with the crowd of living students at the elevator. As usual, they knew some facts of the case, but were missing a lot of information. Taka, Mondo and Chihiro all stood together , when they heard an absolutely  _ terrible  _ noise.

“ _ ISHIMARUUUUUUU!”  _ Hifumi’s voice  _ screeched  _ as he charged at Taka. Mondo stepped between them and held a hand out in front of him.

_ Oh my god,  _ Chihiro thought,  _ he’s gonna punch him! _

Before she had the chance to say anything, Mondo’s palm collided with Hifumi’s forehead, forcing him to keep his distance. Hifumi’s legs continued to move like a cartoon character who’d walked off a ledge, but he didn’t get any closer. All the while he was screaming and screeching like a feral cat.

Mondo pushed him away, “You killed him once already, asshole, what’s yer fuckin problem?!”

“ _ HE RAPED AND BLACKMAILED MISS CELESTE!” _

“What?! No he didn’t!” Mondo spun to face Taka. “R-right, man?”

Taka looked as surprised as his partners. “Of course not! I would never,  _ ever  _ do either of those things! Not in a million years!”

“ _ MISS CELESTE WOULDN’T LIE!” _

“Dude…” Mondo looked at Hifumi with exasperation, “She’s literally the  _ queen of liars. _ ”

Hifumi huffed, let out an obnoxious, high-pitched whine. “So… I…” He looked conflicted. “I… killed Ishimaru for no reason…?”

“ _ Yeah,”  _ Mondo said harshly, “Ya sure fuckin did. Asshole.”

“S-sorry, Ishimaru…” Hifumi turned his back to them and started walking away.

“Wait!” Taka stepped around a surprised Mondo, and Hifumi nervously turned to him. “It may have been a lie, but… you were acting from the right place. Killing me for committing such an evil act is perfectly understandable, and I actually commend you for it.” To Chihiro and Mondo’s surprise, he actually bowed to his killer.

“Oh, uh…” Hifumi said, “Thank you, Ishimaru.” He very briefly bowed back, and retreated into the crowd waiting for the elevator.

“Wow, Taka,” Mondo said, “You’re a bigger man than I am.”

“Nonsense, friend!” Taka clapped Mondo on the shoulder. “You were simply standing up for me, and Hifumi was only standing up for Celeste!”

Mondo and Chihiro smiled at him. Taka hadn’t changed, even now.

The trial was pretty confusing, even for Hifumi. Luckily, their friends figured it out anyway. When Celeste began talking about how she got Hifumi to kill Taka, he bristled. 

"It was amazing how completely Hifumi bought it. Hmhm... I can't express how enjoyable that was." 

Well. At least she wasn’t still claiming it to be true. But he could hear Hifumi a couple places over, muttering to himself angrily.

After the execution, Sayaka volunteered to talk to Celeste. Who else possibly could? Everyone else returned to their rooms for the night feeling exhausted, even in death. 

  
  


Things were quiet for once in Mondo’s existence. The three former Hope’s Peak students laid in bed together, practically on top of each other. The only sounds Mondo heard were the bugs chirping outside, the soft whirring of air flowing through the vents, and his beloved partners breathing softly on either side of him. The room was filled with a soft yellow glow, thanks to the string of fairy lights Chihiro hung on the walls. Mondo felt his heart swell - two of the people he cared about most in the world were right there beside him, and he held them closer. Taka was out like a light, but his grip on Mondo tightened in reciprocation. Mondo ran his hand up Chihiro’s back, and threaded his fingers through her hair. She shifted, scooting up to kiss Mondo on the cheek. He felt himself blush and huffed quietly, much to Chihiro’s amusement. When she settled back in, his hands landed in her hair again. He pet her head, lightly running his fingernails over her scalp, making her melt against his chest with a soft sigh. 

Mondo fell asleep beside the two people he cared about most in the world, feeling safe and  _ soft,  _ for the first time ever. 

This is something he could get used to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so so much for reading!!! comments are always appreciated :3

**Author's Note:**

> This is the longest fic I've ever posted, which isn't saying a lot but whatever! Chihiro is trans and anybody using he/him pronouns for her can fight me about it. (They/them pronouns are fine.) I have so many feelings about these two... if I have the energy and motivation, I might write a sequel where Taka arrives and it becomes the three of them in a relationship because boy do I love that ship. But anyway. Please let me know if you like this. It might be a little bit weird because I wrote this over two nights from midnight to 6AM.  
>   
> Talk to me about Danganronpa or anything else on [my tumblr](https://armedwithapencilandpaper.tumblr.com/)!  
>   
> Also, this fic was somewhat inspired by ohkeiji’s fic, “[ late night confessional ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19972585)” so be sure to check it out because it’s very good and soft! (and also features transgirl!Chihiro!)


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